The Suicide House

Right before I read Suicide House, I read Some Choose Darkness, which centers around Rory Moore's past and present. She is a very unique character and I'm so glad I had her background from the first book, before I read Suicide House. The author says that he writes the books as stand alones and you can enjoy Suicide House without reading Some Choose Darkness but still, I'd suggest reading Some Choose Darkness, at some point, if you want to know more about Rory Moore and what makes her tick. In Suicide House, Rory's partner lures her (in the nicest of ways) to an out of the way location, that was the scene of the grisly murders of two teenagers, followed by suicides that may be related to the death of the teenagers. Rory is a forensic reconstructionist and her skills are needed to determine what really happened when the two students were killed and whether later suicides were really suicides. The local law enforcement closed the case quickly since they had evidence that a teacher murdered the students and then later, tried to kill himself. He's now unable to speak or live unassisted, due to his injuries from the suicide attempt. <br /><br />Prepared to be confused, in a very good way. Suicide House starts with someone reading from his journal, confessing people he has killed and the method he used for each murder. Throughout the book, various timelines are introduced but, often, we don't really know when some parts of the book take place. We also don't always know who one or more people are in some of the timelines or how they might relate to the present day reconstructions that Rory is performing. The atmosphere is very dark and foreboding at both the school and at the old boarding house, behind the school, where the murders took place. I was hooked on the story, from the very beginning and then it just got better and better for me. I look forward to more about Rory and Lane, in future books. <br /><br />Pub July 28, 2020<br /><br />Thank you to Kensington/Random House and Edelweiss for this ARC. 

When I find out Some Choose Darkness’ sequel finally arrived and I will have another chance to read about the coolest and smartest forensics reconstructionist (let’s say: she is the expert of heating cold cases) Rory Moore and his psychologist partner Lane Philips, I screamed “Hurray” as soon as I saw the book at my virtual NG bookshelf! <br /><br /> And the plot was really intriguing. I always love to read about claustrophobic whodunit prep school stories about secret societies, looking in the mirror throughout their ritual, instead of calling Bloody Mary’s name, they expect to see “man in the mirror”. So spooky and dazzling, right?<br /> <br /> Westmont Preparatory High School’s great reputation tainted with two brutal murders occurred and scandalized the entire place. After two students’ murders, a teacher is prime suspect, commits suicide but he cannot achieve to kill himself and is hospitalized, in vegetative state. <br /><br /> A famous crime blogger Ryder Hillier starts writing about conspiracy theories and a popular podcast host Mark Carter already stole her story and hits ratings hit the roof. And one of the students who was at the crime scene of his other viciously victimized friends decides to end his silence and he wants to confess something important to Mark, sending him coded meeting place. Of course Ryder solves the coded meeting place message faster than him. Both of them arrive at the place and find the boy committed suicide at the train tracks just like the other students and his teacher did.<br /><br /> When you read the long plot above, you ask the question yourself: Okay, when is going to our duo get involved with the case? This is the main problem with the book. Because in my opinion, there are too many POVS and too many characters instead of Rory and Lane in this book.<br /><br /> We’re going back and forth between timelines and learning more about Westmont’s six students who were together at the eerie murder night. And slowly we find out more about Gwen and Gavin, two students left behind and still alive. Both of them look suspicious and act like they got involved something shady including their friends’ deaths because they’re keeping something secret and they know their teacher wasn’t the killer.<br /><br /> We also read Marc McEvoy’s story who was former student of Westmont and he never recovered from getting rejected by the secret society and he knows the ritual times ( shortest and longest days of the year and June 21th is coming up!) He is obsessed to find out the secrets about Man in the mirror, at the cost of lying to his wife, acting like going to business trip and now he is missing.<br />And we’re also reintroduced and welcomed Gus Morelli’s cameo from “Don’t Believe It” novel’s hotshot detective ( now he’s retired, enduring the humid of Florida)<br /><br /> And of course we have some flashbacks about Rory’s childhood and the importance of porcelain dolls help her function more normally and adapt in normal life.<br />I felt like I read three different books at the same time. Maybe if it would be a book about the campus murders and podcast host’s killing case solved by crime blogger Ryder Hillier, it would be easier for me to concentrate. But there is also Gus’s cold case story connects with the murders and another missing person’s case. There are so many questions to answer, so many POVS to read and too many characters to connect! Rory Moore hasn’t been involved in the case till the second half of the book. So many times I missed her and Lane because the other characters’ POVS and stories made me question if this was sequel of my favorite characters or if they turned into supportive characters of the story, make cameos like Gus.<br /><br /> I think the author’s intention was preparing us to the next books and introducing the new characters. And she wants to connect her main characters from the other books to bring out new cases and new stories. <br /><br /> Overall: At the end we got all the answers. There is no plot hole and even though murderer’s identity was predictable, it was great to read his background story and connections between the cases Gus and our favorite duo investigates. But I wish to read easier story with less characters. I still enjoyed and I’m charmed by my favorite duo’s returning back and I’d like to read their upcoming stories as well. But I’m cutting some points and giving 3.5 stars as always rounded up 4! (If it wasn’t for Rory and Lane, it could be three stars because this was exhausting reading!)<br />But I’m so hopeful about conclusion and excited about those sealed boxes!<br /><br />Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

<b>3.5 stars<br /><br />While a popular podcast focuses on “The Suicide House” at an elite boarding school, a journalist, a forensic reconstructionist, and a profiler, are brought together to piece together a tale of murder, suicide, and a secret society. </b><br /><br /><i> The Suicide House brings back Rory Moore and Lane Phillips, who were featured in Some Choose Darkness, which I loved! </i> Rory, a forensic reconstructionist, uses her autistic abilities to see what others can’t. Lane analyzes serial killers. Together they solve the unsolvable. <b>While they play a critical role in this book, they are not featured nearly enough. </b><br /><br /><b>A lot is going on in this book: there are several mysteries and storylines to keep track of. </b> The mystery of what’s going on at this elite prep school is compelling but gets bogged down by featuring too many characters and POV’s. For this reason, I wasn’t sure quite what I was supposed to be focusing on. I was confused in the beginning, but eventually, all the pieces came together. The pacing is slow, but with having so many characters and storylines to keep track of, I appreciated this aspect. Some parts are also repetitive. <b>With that being said, I still love Rory and Lane. I also enjoyed reading the killer’s journal.</b> I was left with some questions about the killer's motivation in the present and felt that this individual came across a little cartoonish, especially in their final scene. <br /><br /><b>Overall, Charlie Donlea can write. While this book is crammed with too many storylines, characters, and voices, I still felt that this is a well-written thriller. I only wish it capitalized on featuring Rory Moore and Lane Phillips. However, it looks like there is a strong chance we will be seeing them again in the future! </b>

3.5 stars<br /><br />“The Suicide House" is a hit podcast that focuses on the grisly murders of two students at an elite school. Westmont Preparatory School is an elite boarding school where the "secret" society is a known secret. It is tradition. Stunts hope to be chosen to be initiated into the secret society, to go to the hidden cottage in the woods, and survive the Man in the Mirror. A year later the tradition becomes a nightmare as students are dead, a teacher has been blamed and the horrors continue.<br /><br /><i> <b>"Something was going on with those kids last year, and it's carried over to today."</b> </i><br /><br />Pod casts, diary entries, a killer, and Rory Moore and Lane Phillips all rolled up in this book about murder, secrets, mysteries, questions, fear, and suspense. There is <b>a lot</b> going on in this book. There are many characters, several mysteries and subplots going on. I almost took out pen and paper to help me keep track of everything. Sometimes less is more. <br /><br />But at the end of the day (or the end of the book, depending on how you want to look at it), I enjoyed this book. I really enjoy Rory and how she looks at the world and picks up on things that others miss. She is an intriguing character and I was happy to become reacquainted with her. But I wanted more of her and Lane. They are a great pair and an interesting duo; this is where more would have been better.<br /><br />Donlea had a lot going on in this book and I believe that he is using this book as a stepping stone to his next book in this series (I am making an assumption/hoping/wishing/ putting it out into the universe that there will be another book).<br /><br />I am always extremely excited when I see that Donlea has a new book out. I love his writing and how he brings his story-lines full circle. This one took a little bit of work. I would recommend that those who have not read <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/41801097.Some_Choose_Darkness__Rory_Moore_Lane_Phillips___1_" title="Some Choose Darkness (Rory Moore/Lane Phillips, #1) by Charlie Donlea" rel="noopener">Some Choose Darkness</a> to read that book first. Because (a) It is Awesome (b) it introduces you to Rory and Lane and (c) it showcases Donlea's masterful storytelling and how he builds suspense (d) it's the perfect segue into this book! Plus, Some Choose Darkness is mentioned several times in this book!. <br /><br />In this book, I felt there was too much going on but still enjoyed it and the resolution. <br /><br />Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the fourth book I've read by Charlie Donlea. And sadly it was my least favorite of all his books. What makes it so disappointing is I loved his previous releases. Unfortunately, this one just didn't grab me. <br /><br />Everyone wants to be part of the secret club at the exclusive boarding school. It’s up to the current senior members to approve or deny the Juniors’ acceptance. Once voted in, the initiation process begins. But at what cost? What lengths and sacrifices would you be willing to make to belong to this club? How far will you take their secrets? <br /><br />Rory and Lane are two characters that I've become quite fond of. I watched them develop through the previous books and looking forward to seeing how their characters would blossom in this latest. But the same magic from this duo fell rather flat. <br /><br />I will continue to be a huge fan of this author and will definitely be reading more of his future work in the future. Just not a match for me this time. <br /><br />A buddy read with Susanne that left us both a bit underwhelmed.?<br /><br />Thank you to NetGalley Kensington Books for an ARC to read and review.<br />

4.5 stars!<br /><br />A thrilling continuation of the series!<br /><br />Rory Moore is a forensic reconstructionalist who suffers from extreme social anxiety. She has a proven track record of cracking unsolved police case files and finds herself entangled in helping her psychologist partner, Lane Phillips, on a chilling and mysterious prep school double murder. The two travel to the prestigious Westmont Preparatory High School to investigate and immerse themselves in the year old murder case of two students.<br /><br />I’ve read and loved every single book Charlie Donlea has created and this was no exception. I jumped right back into these characters lives and felt myself grow even more attached to them. The thick, foreboding atmosphere of the elite boarding school grounds had me engrossed from start to finish. There is something about boarding school settings that always appeals to me. This was a fast paced thrilling mystery that had my mind flip flopping over who was guilty. The chillingly gruesome murders kept me on edge and curiously intrigued throughout. With the timelines being only one year apart, I found myself confused a few times at the start but as I worked deeper into the storyline, the flow became much easier to follow. <br /><br />If you haven’t read a Charlie Donlea book, you need to drop everything and pick one up! I suggesting picking up book 1 in this series before reading this as it will give you a better understanding of the characters’ backstories and personalities. All of his other novels are standalones, however, he brilliantly incorporates his well-loved characters within more than one book which I love.<br /><br />Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy! Expected date of publication is July 28th.

I have a confession to make....This is my first Charlie Donlea novel. *Gasps* <br /><br />When two teenage boys are found on the grounds of a prestigious boarding school murdered in horrific fashion it is believed their chemistry teacher that they were tormenting finally enacted his revenge. When the remaining survivors of that night are drawn back to the same spot to commit suicide it attracts the attention of a podcast host, a reporter, and also Rory Moore, a forensic reconstructionist, along with her partner Lane Phillips, a psychological profiler, from Donlea's last novel and first book of this series, <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/41801097.Some_Choose_Darkness__Rory_Moore_Lane_Phillips___1_" title="Some Choose Darkness (Rory Moore/Lane Phillips, #1) by Charlie Donlea" rel="noopener">Some Choose Darkness</a>.<br /><br /><b> <i>"This wasn't a couple of kids screwing around. This was a goddamn slaughter."</i> </b><br /><br />That line is all Donlea needed to say to get my attention and my attention he had until the very end. My only one complaint is that I struggled to keep all of the characters straight. I had to flip back and forth on more than one occasion. Of course with such a large cast of characters I had made so many assumptions as to whodunnit and I was wrong every time. Well played, indeed! 4 stars! <br /><br /><i>Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

<b>Yipee! Charlie Donlea has joined us for a Q &amp; A in the Behind the Pages Group </b><br /><br />To see what he has to say about his books. You can find the thread here to the Q &amp; A <br /><br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/21646206-spoiler-free-q-a-charlie-donlea-author-of-the-suicide-house-augus">https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...</a><br /><br />Every time Charlie Donlea has a new book out The Traveling Sisters are cheering and we are excited to drive right into it. We were very excited to see beloved characters Rory and Lane from Some Choose Darkness return in The Suicide House <br /><br />With a title like The Suicide House, I have to say I was a bit nervous about reading it but it's Charlie Donlea so how could I go wrong. Well, I am happy to say Charlie delivers another gripping original and exciting twisty thrill of a read!<br /><br />Charlie Donlea nails it here with this chilling and thrilling setting that sets a dark eerie mood to the story! I loved the settings here that connected the characters and added nail-biting tension to the story. The Elite school and boarding house in the woods sets an eerier feel to the story with its horrifying secrets. A year ago two students were murder and the case is now the focus of the podcast The Suicide House. Rory is back to find out those horrifying secrets the night the students were slaughter. The danger is still lurking and haunting the students who were there that night.<br /><br />For me, the strength of the story is our interesting, brilliant well developed diverse character Rory who exhibits mannerism that puts her on the autism spectrum. The dynamics between her and Lane are heartwarming and entertaining. We don’t see much of both of them together as I would of like however I loved what we did get.<br /><br />There is a large cast of characters here with multiple intertwining storylines that keep things interesting. At times I did become a bit confused with keeping everyone and everything straight. The tension and suspense rise with each chapter right up to those exciting final twists and reveals. <br /><br />I highly recommend starting with Some Choose Darkness before this one to get to know Rory and Lane however I do think The Suicide House works as a standalone as well<br /><br />I received a copy from the publisher on NetGalley!

3.75 Twisty stars<br /><br />This is a favorite author of mine, Charlie Donlea, and I’m slowly making my way through all of his books. This one follows the same characters as “Some Choose Darkness” – Rory and Lane. They are both crime experts and a couple. While it’s been a while since I read “Some Choose Darkness” there were plenty of explanatory pieces to bring me up to speed (maybe a bit much!) and refresh my memory. I really like the character of Rory and I wish we got more background and details to flesh out her character in this one.<br /><br />This story is set at a prestigious prep high school in Indiana, modeled after similar schools on the east coast. One interesting point is that no one is ever kicked out of this school. Everyone sees a counselor and issues are dealt with by the school. There are problems at Westmont though as a year ago two students were murdered, and now other students have returned to the scene to kill themselves. What on earth is going on?<br /><br />There’s a fascinating first portion of the story with a true crime podcast built in and I really liked this piece and I was wishing for more of this storyline! Rory and Lane dig into the school and rumors of a secret society. The story features flashbacks to the summer one year ago when the tragic events took place. I’m used to a much longer gap between storylines! Can the duo get to the bottom of things before there’s another tragedy?<br /><br />I had a few gasp-worthy moments when a twist was revealed, and I did not see the ending at all! There’s a tense conclusion and a lot of pieces to figure out along the way. Overall, I enjoyed this one and looking forward to more from this author. While this wasn’t my favorite read of his, it still was a good distraction! I do recommend reading “Some Choose Darkness” if you want to start this series.<br /><br />Thank you to the publisher Kensington and Charlie Donlea for an early copy of the book to read through NetGalley. Get your copy of this one today.

<br><br><b>3.5 stars</b><br><br>In this 2nd book in the 'Rory Moore/Lane Phillips' series, the criminalists look into deaths at a private school. The book works fine as a standalone.<br><br>*****<br><br>Classy 'Westmont Preparatory High School' in Peppermill, Indiana used to pride itself on graduating ALL its students and sending them on to good colleges. <br><br><img alt="" height="357" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660016._SX540_.jpg" width="640" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Then starting on June 21, 2019, a string of tragedies ruined the school's statistics. Two students were murdered on that summer solstice night, and - in the subsequent year - two more students committed suicide. <br><br>The institute's losses were the media's gain. Crime blogger Ryder Hillier has a blog devoted to the Westmont deaths.....<br><br><img alt="" height="266" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660024._SX540_.jpg" width="400" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>….. and television newsmagazine host Mack Carter has a podcast, called The Suicide House, about the incidents. <br><br><img alt="" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660023.png" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Mack Carter leases a house near Westmont Prep, and in the summer of 2020 hires Chicago forensic psychologist/criminal profiler Lane Phillips to contribute to future episodes of the podcast. <br><br><img alt="" height="300" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660022.jpg" width="400" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Lane rents a cottage in Peppermill and cajoles his girlfriend, forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore, to follow him a couple of days later. <br><br><img alt="" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660017.jpg" width="264" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Lane specializes in psychotic killers and Rory is a cold case expert, so they're good 'gets' for The Suicide House podcast.<br><br>Up to this point the blog and podcast covered the following: Two students named Andrew Gross and Tanner Landing were brutally killed in an abandoned house on the edge of the Westmont campus on June 21, 2019. A few days later the prime suspect, a chemistry teacher called Charles Gorman, threw himself in front of a train near the abandoned house, and is now a vegetable.<br><br><img alt="" height="462" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660020._SX540_.jpg" width="640" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>In the following months, two friends of the dead boys, Bridget Matthews and Danielle Landry, also threw themselves in front of trains, and died. <br><br>It turns out that Westmont Prep has a secret club, called 'The Man in the Mirror', that meets at the abandoned house. <br><br><img alt="" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660025.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Each year the club extends invitations to a few juniors, who must perform harrowing challenges to become members. All the dead students were associated with The Man in the Mirror, and - as the story unfolds - more deaths follow.<br><br>Lane and Rory make it their mission to unravel all the mysteries at Westmont Prep, and endanger themselves in the process.<br><br>The book is very complex, with several subplots. Moreover, the story skips back and forth between the summer of 2019 and the summer of 2020. Thus there's a lot to follow, but once I got into the rhythm I was able to keep up. <br><br>A strong point of the book is the wide array of characters, including students; faculty; administrators; parents; journalists; police; and more. The best character is forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore, a woman on the autism spectrum whose favorite beverage is Dark Lord beer.<br><br><img alt="" height="214" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660021.jpg" width="320" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Rory has trouble making eye contact and is most comfortable wearing a beanie hat; big glasses; and Madden Girl Eloisee combat boots.<br><br><img alt="" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660018.jpg" width="298" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><img alt="" height="241" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660026.jpg" width="320" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Rory also has OCD, which she controls by restoring damaged antique dolls. In this book Rory reconstructs an Armand Marseille Kiddiejoy German baby doll, and the scenes of Rory working on the doll are instructive and interesting.<br><br><img alt="" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1592355819i/29660019.png" width="318" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>I won't give away plot secrets but I will say that Charlie Donlea is a master of misdirection and twists. For me the plot is a bit overly contrived, but I enjoyed the book and recommend it to fans of suspense novels.<br><br>Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Charlie Donlea), and the publisher (Kensington Publishing) for a copy of the book.<br><br>You can follow my reviews at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/">https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....</a>